Trip Itinerary

This is Ben and Jordyn’s itinerary while traveling in Cameroon. Follow them on their journey!

2013 Cameroon research trip itinerary

Day 1Yaoundé
Arrival at Yaoundé International Airport, meet up with our guide.

Day 2Yaoundé– Bertoua or Lomié (depending on the state of the roads)
By Road, 6 hrs
Traveling through the forests of East Cameroon en route to Lobeke National Park.

Day 3Bertoua or Lomié – Mambelé
By Road, 9 hrs
We will make our way to Mambelé, the remote entrance to Lobeke National Park, and where the Bantu and Baka communities reside.

Day 4 – 8Lobeke National Park
By Foot, 5-6hrs
Travel from Mambele by foot into the national park, and stay with the Bantu and Baka communities. Daily hikes through the forest and tracking with the communities. Within the park:
Djangui bai (forest clearing)
Petite Savane (small savannah) – One of the best places to view Western Lowland Gorillas

Day 9Lobeke National Park – Mambelé
By Foot, 2-3hrs, and by Road, 1 hr
Hike back to Mambelé and drive to Kombo Camp, a base camp for the World Wildlife Foundation.

Day 10Mambelé – Sala Poumbe – Baka camp
By Road, 3hrs, and by Foot, 1 hr
Near Sala Poumbe in the heart of the forest is a Baka village where we will stay. We will participate in the collection of medicinal plants and preparation of traditional remedies.

Day 11Baka camp – Yokadouma
By Foot, 1hr, and By Road, 5 hrs
Baka demonstration of hunting techniques. We will hike back to Sala Poumbe and head to Yokadouma, an old timber town.

Day 12Yokadouma – Yaoundé
By Road, 10 hrs
Long drive from Yokadouma to Yaoundé as we make our way to the western parts of the country. The drive will include stops at small markets along the way.

Day 13Yaoundé – Bandjoun – Bapit crater lake – Koutaba
By Road, 5 hrs
The drive continues to the Western Cameroonian Highlands, home to the Bamileke and Bamun communities. Our first stop is at Bandjoun Bamileke Kingdom, known for its great traditional architecture in the royal court, and a traditional art museum showcasing beaded elephant masks. We will drive to the Noun Plateau and meet the Bamun community. Nearby is the Bapit extinct volcano, and a hike to the top shows the crater lake.

Day 14Koutaba – Foumban – Koutaba
By Road, 1 hr
We will spend more time with the Bamun community and visit the central market and artisan quarter.

Day 15Koutaba – Dschang – Keleng
By Road, 2 hrs
We will visit another central market in Dschang, the former colonial capital of west Cameroon during the German period. We will continue on to Keleng Palace and will be received by His Royal Highness to stay for the night and learn more about the Bimeleke culture.

Day 16Keleng – Ekom Nkam Falls – Melong
By Road, 1 hr
We will continue on to the coastal Littoral Mountains along the Gulf of Guinea and visit Ekom Nkam Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Africa. Melong is considered Cameroon’s coffee capital, growing and exporting the largest amount of coffee in the region.

Day 17Melong – Buea – Mount Cameroon – Limbe
By Road, 2 hrs
Buea is the main entrance to Mount Cameroon Reserve, which hosts many endemic species. We will hike around the base of Mount Cameroon for a good portion of the day, and ehad to Limbe, a sea port with tropical beaches.

Day 18Limbe – Douala
By Road, 1 hr
We will visit the Limbe Botanic Garden, originally founded in 1892 (hey, same as Phipps!) as experimental plots for exotic crop species. We will meet up with staff for a tour of the botanic garden and learn about their local research efforts.

In the evening, we will head to the airport in Douala for our 24-hour journey back home.

I am so thrilled for both of you! It’s great to be able to follow your adventures through your blog entries and photos. I especially like the closeup of the elephant! Be well, safe and continue to have an amazing time!
– Kate B.

From what I have read you are now on Day 5 or Day 6. I just found this blog today and I am fascinated by all you have seen and done. Praying for your safety and health. (and for dry weather and boots)- Nancy T.

Thank you Nancy. It is indeed a species of Scadoxus, or blood lily most likely S. cinnabarinus or possibly S. pseudocaulus. With only 9 species its a small genus. I was able to narrow it down to the Amaryllidaceae in the field. Of course in equatorial Africa the zone would be much higher than zone 8 so I’m sure you meant it wont grow in zones below 8. At any rate you can expect to see it in all its glory when we change over the Tropical Forest for 2015. -Ben Dunigan